Dr. Ciara Sivels is a Nuclear Engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She is also the first Black woman to receive a PHD in Nuclear Engineering from University of Michigan!

Dr. Sivels’s past research focused on nuclear explosion monitoring and treaty verification, resulting in four first authored publications as well as numerous research awards. Among the many outreach and mentorship programs that she participated in during her time at Michigan, Dr. Sivels helped found the Women in NERS (Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences) group, a space for women in the department to commune, share stories, and discuss issues.

Watch this week’s Draw Her Life campisode and learn more about Ciara’s journey from being a pastry chef to becoming a Nuclear Engineer and how nuclear engineering actually helps cancer research.